NORTH SOUND, Antigua: Nkrumah Bonner punched his fourth Test half-century as West Indies produced an attritional effort in the opening session to find themselves flourishing at lunch on the third day of the opening Test here Thursday.
The home side gathered 69 runs and lost just one wicket – that of Jason Holder for 45 – as they reached 271 for five at the interval at Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.
Bonner was at the heart of the West Indies’ enterprise, unbeaten on a resolute 68, and partnered by wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva on 29.
The pair have so far added 65 for the sixth wicket, stabilizing the innings rocked in the fourth over of the morning when Holder (45) wafted indecisively at an out-swinger from all-rounder Ben Stokes (2-33) and nicked off to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, after adding two runs to his overnight score.
Any hopes England harbored of running through the innings were then stymied as Bonner and Da Silva hardly put a foot wrong in a solid partnership that denied the further tourists success.
Bonner has so far faced 175 deliveries and counted half-dozen fours and a six – a top edge over fine leg-pulling at speedster Mark Wood – while Da Silva has struck a single four off 72 balls.
Da Silva was reprieved on 16 when he was adjudged lbw to seamer Craig Overton before DRS showed the missing leg.
West Indies are 40 runs adrift of the first-innings lead after England were dismissed for 311 on Wednesday’s second day.
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